The Third Mushroom

by Jennifer L. Holm

"Believe in the unexpected" with this hilarious, heartwarming, and acclaimed sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Fourteenth Goldfish!

Ellie's grandpa Melvin is a world-renowned scientist . . . in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy. His feet stink, and he eats everything in the refrigerator--and Ellie is so happy to have him around. Grandpa may not exactly fit in at middle school, but he certainly keeps things interesting. When he and Ellie team up for the county science fair, no one realizes just how groundbreaking their experiment will be. The formula for eternal youth may be within their reach! And when Ellie's cat, Jonas Salk, gets sick, the stakes become even higher. But is the key to eternal life really the key to happiness? Sometimes even the most careful experiments yield unexpected--and wonderful--results.

• ISBN10: 1524719838
• ISBN13: 9781524719838
• Publish Date: 3 March 2020 (first published 4 September 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
• Imprint: Yearling (imprint of Random House Children's Books)
• Format: Paperback (US Digest)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781524719838

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

Thank you to Penguin Kids for sending me a physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun read, that was also packed full of educational tidbits that are much needed for everyone.

Ellie is a middle schooler, who has a grandpa (Melvin) who is a scientist and likes to do experiments. Ones of his experiments made him physically look like a teenager again. A pretty cool thing to do, but it also means that now he has to go to school with Ellie and do other teenager things in order to not be suspicious.
While Ellie enjoys this at times, it also makes things very difficult at other times, because Melvin is still her grandpa. Which puts a lot of the family in a weird position, because he knows so much, but they can't allow him to do certain things. He's also extremely messy and has the appetite of a teenage boy which is slowly making Ellie's mom a little annoyed.
We also have Ellie just dealing with regular middle school stuff which was all dealt with in a very real way.

Overall I absolutely loved this book. Ellie is a character that I truly loved, and she was such a real middle school girl. I also loved Melvin even if he was a bit much at times. The things he was feeling were very real, and I love how it showed the loss he felt because of things, while also giving him a life after. I also found it rather fascinating that even though he was a scientist he didn't know certain things until after the fact. It just goes to show that no matter how many degrees you have, that there is always more to learn.
One of my favorite interactions with Ellie and Melvin was how he encouraged her to really do research about the science fair project that they ended up working on together, but to also keep her friendships going and make sure she was there for her best friend no matter what.

There are so many good things in this book, and I think it will be a great read for any middle schooler who likes science but also wants realistic characters.

As someone who hadn't read the first book, I was a little nervous to start this one. I am pleased to say that while I'm sure it builds on the first story, it is not a have to read before you start this one.

[inlibrisveritas]

The Third Mushroom really surpassed my expectations. I had enjoyed The Fourteenth Goldfish, though I had a few issues with it, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the second installment. I am so pleased with how this one turned out!

This sequel carries on a little bit after the first book ends, and expounds on the themes previous brought forth. We see more focus on friendships and their changes, what it means to live life, what it means to be family, and the importance of experimenting (both in life & in science). I think one of the best things about this book was its focus on changes and relationships. Friendships evolve and shift over time and people change. I love that it goes over the beauty of keeping a friendship as it is, as I think there is sometimes a little too much focus on pairing up in YA. I’m glad that there are middle-grade novels that embrace the normal friendships and let kids know there isn’t a need to rush off and find a soul mate anytime soon. There are a few moments as well where the focus returns to what it means to live and as a result how to deal with death, and those somber moments were really appreciated. And of course there is the science! I love seeing a young girl super interested in the sciences and even willing to get her hands dirty if need be.

Ellie has really matured in this one after her first long-term encounter with Melvin, she’s more comfortable in her skin at middle school and more comfortable asking questions. Her friendship with her grandfather really works well in this one too. Melvin isn’t as prickly as he was previously though he still has his moments, there are plenty of moments where we learn more about his life outside of the laboratory. He softens a bit and actually becomes far more likable. I love that the lessons they both learn individually are shared between them and that they have such a wonderful desire to see the other one happy and successful.

Overall, I think that The Third Mushroom was a really cute book with some great themes & ideas. The science is always a delight and I enjoyed seeing our MC really step out of her comfort zone and try new things. I think if you or a young person you know enjoyed the first book, then this is definitely one to pick up!

I received this for review purposes, all opinions are my own.